Twig FenceRustic garden crafts like a twig fence add a country feel to your xeric garden, as well as using what could otherwise be waste. Twigs are so useful in the garden. They can be used to make a teepee for growing beans on, for tomato plant supports, wired together for a trellis, and many other rustic garden crafts. One of my favorite projects is building a twig fence. I’ve used many different methods for twig fence construction. In some cases, simply wiring a few twigs together as a hurdle which can be relocated when required is a good project. I also make twig fences with a wire base, strung between fence posts or trees, then attach twigs to it for a more permanent structure, such as in the picture below. 
To make your hurdle type twig fence panels, determine a good size that you can make over again such as one meter by two meters, or half a meter by two meters, and cut all your twigs and branches to fit that size. That way you have several hurdles to choose from when you want to fence something in. They can be nailed together, or simply wired with tie wire to form a rectangle. The techniques for building twig fences and other crafts are all simple and easy to learn. Are you ready to start?
Using what twigs you have available for rustic garden crafts and twig fences can be a lesson in thinking outside the box. Sometimes the right twigs appear just in time for you to use them in a project. Other times you have twigs that you know you want to use, but just haven’t found quite the right project. Storing twigs that you know will come in handy is easy; just find a dry place, under the eaves of a building, or in the rafters of a woodshed and either lay them flat with plenty of air flow between them, or stack them leaning in a corner. It’s important that they don’t get wet, or they’ll rot prematurely. When using dry twigs, the methods are similar to when using green sticks for your projects. The advantages are that they won’t shrink as much, and in some cases the bark has come off, giving you the opportunity of painting, sealing or staining them prior to use. This will make them last longer in the finished project. Keep in mind that most garden projects will last several years if in a dry climate, less than that if you live in a damp area. Where to find twigsIf you’re lucky enough to have property to collect your own twigs, that’s the perfect place to start. You can create your own twig wood lot, planting species such as willow (Salix species), dogwood (Cornus stolonifera, Cornus sericea) maple (Acer douglasii and others) and many more shrubs that can be coppiced, or cut every year or two to force rapid new growth. This forms long canes suitable for constructing twig fences, trellises and baskets.You can also look out for prunings by city or municipal workers, or landscape crews working on private property. Don’t hesitate to ask; sometimes these workers are glad to supply you with twigs. Designing your Twig FenceOne of my favorite styles to use for building with twigs is cross hatching, in a lattice or diamond shape. I’ve used this on many different projects. Other designs to use are square or with upright or horizontal twigs. I combine some of these together to give gardens a unique feature. Repeating the same motif in different areas of your garden gives cohesion to your look. Other decisions to make about your design are if the twigs should be smooth, painted or stained, rustic and gnarly, or random. You can find the perfect style of twig fence for your garden based on what you have already chosen for existing fencing, furniture and other items, as well as your garden style. 
Utilizing whatever twigs or branches are locally available enables your garden to appear comfortable in its environment, as well as using material that otherwise could be classed as waste. I like the idea of using twigs for building useful and functional garden fences; the best possible combination of beauty, function and recycling.
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I pound in some lengths of rebar (reinforcing rod used for concrete work) or other metal posts to attach the hurdles to.
